Liquid crystal display device having spacer holes

Abstract

A liquid crystal display device includes an active matrix substrate and a counter substrate opposing each other with a gap therebetween defined by a plurality of columnar spacers. The active matrix substrate has a plurality of spacer holes each receiving therein a corresponding one of the columnar spacers, and a plurality of dummy spacer holes aligned with the spacer holes and each receiving therein no columnar spacer.

1. A liquid crystal display (LCD) device comprising: an active matrix substrate mounting thereon a plurality of pixels each including a switching device, said active matrix substrate having an alignment film at a topmost surface thereof; a counter substrate opposing said active matrix substrate with a gap therebetween defined by a plurality of columnar spacers; and a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between said active matrix substrate and said counter substrate,
 said active matrix substrate having a plurality of active spacer holes and a plurality of dummy spacer holes each having dimensions substantially the same as the dimensions of said active spacer holes, wherein the dummy spacer holes and the active spacer holes are formed in the same layer, wherein some of said dummy spacer holes are aligned with some of said active spacer holes in a rubbing direction of said alignment film, and wherein the plurality of active spacer holes and the plurality of dummy spacer holes together exceed in number the plurality of columnar spacers, and said columnar spacers are located and received only in the active spacer holes. 
 
   
   
     2. The LCD device according to  claim 1 , wherein said active matrix substrate having thereon an organic insulator film covered with said first alignment film, and wherein said active spacer holes and said dummy spacer holes are formed by removing portions of said organic insulator film. 
   
   
     3. The LCD device according to  claim 1 , wherein each of said active spacer holes and said dummy spacer holes is disposed in a corresponding one of said pixels outside an effective light-transmitting area thereof. 
   
   
     4. The LCD device according to  claim 1 , wherein a row of said pixels includes first pixels each provided with a corresponding one of said active spacer holes and second pixels each provided with a corresponding one of said dummy spacer holes. 
   
   
     5. The LCD device according to  claim 1 , wherein said LCD device operates in an in-plane-switching mode. 
   
   
     6. The LCD device according to  claim 1 , wherein all said columnar spacers are located and received in the active spacer holes.